Academy Undercurrents, the Sausage Incident

Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy, the morning mist had not yet fully dispersed.

Yang Yu stood by the window on the third floor of the new students' dormitory, watching the scattered students doing morning exercises on the field below. Ning Rongrong was still sleeping soundly in the room next door. Last night's fright, coupled with the shock of her identity being exposed, had left the Little Princess utterly exhausted in body and mind.

Knock, knock. A soft knock sounded at the door.

"Come in," Yang Yu said without turning around.

The door slid open soundlessly, and Yue Guan's alluring figure flashed inside like a ghost, casually closing the door behind him. His trademark smile remained on his face, but there was a trace of gravity in his eyes.

"Your Highness, I've investigated it," Yue Guan said in a low voice. "After Tang San and Dai Mubai were escorted back to the branch hall dungeon by Su Yuntao, they were taken away that very night. Yu Xiaogang personally went there with a Spirit Hall elder's token. Su Yuntao didn't dare stop him."

"An elder's token?" Yang Yu raised an eyebrow slightly. It seemed Yu Xiaogang's title as a "theory master" in Spirit Hall still carried some weight if he could acquire a token of that level. Still, this was within Yang Yu's expectations. Tang San was the protagonist, after all. He would not be so easily crushed.

"Yes." Yue Guan nodded. "Yu Xiaogang took them back to his cabin behind the academy. Dai Mubai's injuries are serious, but Tang San recovered quickly. Also..." He paused, a cold gleam flashing through his eyes. "In the latter half of last night, an extremely concealed Soul Power fluctuation with a cold, sinister aura appeared around the academy's perimeter. It vanished in an instant. The other party was very alert. Even Gui Mei couldn't lock onto their exact location or identity. He only sensed that... they were very strong, at least a Soul Douluo, and were deliberately concealing their aura."

"A Soul Douluo?" Yang Yu's gaze darkened slightly. What was a Soul Douluo doing in a place as small as Nuoding City? And deliberately hiding? Tang Hao? Or Dark Guards sent by the Star Luo Imperial Family to protect Dai Mubai? It seemed the waters ran deeper than he had imagined.

"Understood. Keep watching them." Yang Yu waved a hand. Soldiers would be met with generals, water with earth. He wanted to see whether Tang Hao dared make a move right under the Holy Son of Spirit Hall's nose.

Yue Guan silently withdrew, as though melting into the shadows.

Yang Yu washed up briefly and changed into Nuoding Academy's standard gray-white uniform. In the mirror, his face still held a trace of childishness, yet his eyes were calm and profound in a way no child's should have been.

"Brother Yu... are you ready yet..." Ning Rongrong's sleepy, dissatisfied muttering came from next door, accompanied by the rustling of clothes. Clearly, this young lady had yet to adapt to waking up early.

A moment later, Ning Rongrong appeared at Yang Yu's door with slightly messy chestnut hair, dressed in the same dull uniform. Rubbing her eyes and pouting, she looked thoroughly displeased. The uniform concealed her delicate upbringing, but it could not hide her exquisite features or refined temperament. Instead, it added a touch of adorable girl-next-door innocence.

"What an ugly outfit..." She tugged at the loose collar with a disgusted expression. "For breakfast, I want rose crystal cakes from Glazed City..."

"The academy cafeteria. Steamed buns and pickles." Yang Yu cut off her fantasy, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Or go hungry."

"You!" Ning Rongrong choked, her little face puffing up like a bun. But when she recalled Yang Yu's calm gaze from last night that had chilled her to the bone, as well as the two people dragged away downstairs, she could only swallow her grievances. Her lips pouted high as she reluctantly followed behind him.

Nuoding Academy's cafeteria was large but poorly equipped. The air was filled with the smell of stew from huge pots and steamed buns. Students in matching gray-white uniforms gathered in groups of three or five, creating a noisy bustle.

Yang Yu and Ning Rongrong's appearance immediately drew many eyes. Yang Yu's calm composure and Ning Rongrong's pure beauty made them stand out like cranes among chickens in the drab crowd. Ning Rongrong in particular, though dressed in a school uniform, still drew many boys' furtive glances with her delicate face and unconsciously displayed air of nobility.

"What are you looking at?" Ning Rongrong felt uncomfortable under all the stares. Her face hardened as she instinctively wanted to throw a young lady's tantrum.

"Shut up. Get in line." Yang Yu's cold voice came from beside her. Ning Rongrong jolted, remembering his warning. She immediately wilted, lowered her head obediently, and followed Yang Yu to the end of the food line.

Breakfast in the cafeteria was simple: thin porridge, steamed buns, and salted vegetable lumps. Ning Rongrong looked at the coarse food on her tray, her brows furrowing tightly enough to crush flies. She picked up a bun, tore off a small piece, and put it in her mouth. After chewing twice, her little face immediately scrunched up.

"So hard... so disgusting..." she complained softly, looking pitifully at Yang Yu.

Yang Yu did not even raise his eyelids, slowly drinking his porridge. At that moment, a somewhat soft teenage voice with a hint of ingratiation sounded beside them.

"New students? Can't get used to the cafeteria's hard buns? Want to try my sausage? Freshly made, and it tastes absolutely amazing!"

Yang Yu and Ning Rongrong turned their heads.

A tall, skinny boy with a few freckles and a somewhat lecherous smile had approached them. He looked around twelve or thirteen and carried a large tray piled with more than a dozen glistening, steaming Great Sausages. A rich aroma of meat wafted through the air.

It was Oscar!

Clearly, Ning Rongrong's beauty had drawn him over. His peach-blossom eyes kept darting across her face, filled with undisguised amazement and eagerness to please.

Ning Rongrong felt nauseated by his greasy gaze and was just about to scold him when she saw Yang Yu's eyes fall on the sausages in Oscar's hands. He seemed... interested?

"Your sausages?" Yang Yu asked.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Seeing Yang Yu respond, Oscar immediately perked up. He straightened his back, his face full of smiles. "My name is Oscar, a Food System Soul Master! My martial soul is Sausage! First Spirit Ability, Super Recovery Great Sausage! Eat my sausages to restore stamina and treat minor injuries—the effects are excellent! You two new students, want to try one? They're free! Let's be friends!" As he spoke, he picked up the two largest, plumpest sausages and eagerly offered them to Yang Yu and Ning Rongrong.

Ning Rongrong looked at the shiny, greasy Great Sausages, whose shape seemed somewhat suggestive, and her stomach churned. Her face even turned green as she waved her hands repeatedly. "No, no! Take them away!" How could the Little Princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect eat something made by such a shady, lecherous fellow?!

Oscar's smile stiffened for a moment. He was a little embarrassed, but his gaze still clung stubbornly to Ning Rongrong's face.

Yang Yu, however, reached out and took the sausage Oscar had offered him. He weighed it in his hand, his calm gaze sweeping over its greasy sheen before shifting to Oscar's eyes, which held anticipation and a hint of slyness.

"A Food System martial soul? A recovery effect?" Yang Yu's voice revealed neither pleasure nor anger.

"That's right, that's right!" Oscar nodded hurriedly and patted his chest in assurance. "Honest business! The effect is definitely great! You'll know once you try it!"

A faintly mocking curve appeared at the corner of Yang Yu's mouth. He casually tossed the sausage back onto Oscar's tray.

"The Soul Power is impure and contains contaminants. The production process is crude, there is too much grease, and the heat was uneven. Its recovery effect is barely worth mentioning." Yang Yu's voice clearly reached Oscar's ears, every word striking his heart like a small hammer. "Relying on garbage food like this, you'll spend your entire life selling sausages."

The smile on Oscar's face completely froze before turning incomparably ugly! His proud First Spirit Ability had been dismissed as worthless by someone who looked several years younger than him?! And in front of so many people! Especially with that beautiful new student present!

"What... what do you know?" Oscar snapped in humiliation and anger, pointing at Yang Yu. "My sausages are very popular in the academy! You're just a new student. What gives you the right to criticize me?!"

"Popular?" Yang Yu sneered, glancing at several students nearby who were secretly swallowing their saliva. "That's because they've never seen anything truly good."

Ignoring Oscar, whose face had turned red and whose body trembled with rage, Yang Yu picked up his tray. "Let's go."

Ning Rongrong felt as if she had been granted amnesty. She hurriedly picked up her nearly untouched tray and trotted after Yang Yu. Before leaving, she did not forget to shoot Oscar a disgusted glare. It was the look one would give a pile of trash.

Oscar stood where he was, still holding the tray of sausages. His face shifted between red and white, while the faint snickers around him pierced his ears like needles. He stared fixedly at Yang Yu and Ning Rongrong's retreating backs, especially Ning Rongrong's disgusted gaze. Intense humiliation and hatred surged into his heart.

"Bastard... just you wait!" Oscar growled through gritted teeth.

Yang Yu and Ning Rongrong had barely walked far from the cafeteria when a short, stout middle-aged man in a teacher's uniform approached them. He had two thin mustaches, a formulaic smile on his face, and a somewhat arrogant look in his eyes.

"You're the new transfer students, Yang Yu and Ning Rongrong?" the stout man asked in an official tone. "I'm the Dean, Lu Qibin. Come with me. I'll take you to your classroom."

Lu Qibin? Yang Yu recalled this somewhat snobbish character from the original story who worked at Nuoding Academy. He nodded without speaking.

Lu Qibin's gaze lingered on Yang Yu for a moment, but he saw nothing remarkable. However, when his eyes landed on Ning Rongrong's beautiful little face, a flash of amazement and barely concealed greed immediately appeared in them. What a pretty girl!

"Little girl, what's your name? How old are you? What's your martial soul?" Lu Qibin put on a "kindly" smile and moved closer to Ning Rongrong, trying to pat her shoulder.

Ning Rongrong instinctively stepped back and hid behind Yang Yu, her little face filled with wariness and disgust.

Lu Qibin's hand fell empty. Unable to save face, his smile cooled slightly. "Hmph! No manners! Follow me!" He turned around, clasped his hands behind his back, and led the way with officious strides.

Nuoding Academy's teaching building was old, and its hallways smelled of chalk dust and aged wood. The first-year classroom was at the end of the second floor. When Lu Qibin pushed open the somewhat peeling wooden door, the noisy classroom instantly quieted considerably.

Dozens of curious, probing, and even appraising eyes focused in unison on Yang Yu and Ning Rongrong at the door.

The classroom was small, with old desks and chairs. Sitting in the front row was Xiao Wu. When she saw Yang Yu, a trace of complexity and tension flashed through her ruby-like eyes, and she lowered her head instinctively. In a corner of the back row sat Tang San, his face still somewhat pale and his gaze gloomy. The moment his eyes touched Yang Yu, the bone-deep resentment in them nearly solidified into substance! Yet he quickly lowered his head, concealing the hatred in his eyes.

Dai Mubai was not in the classroom, presumably still recovering from his injuries. Zhu Zhuqing sat alone by the window like an iceberg, indifferent to the commotion at the door. She gave everyone only a cold, proud profile.

"Ahem!" Lu Qibin cleared his throat and pointed at Yang Yu and Ning Rongrong. "Let me introduce you. These two are new transfer students, Yang Yu and Ning Rongrong. You will all be classmates from now on, so help each other! All right, find empty seats for yourselves!" Clearly, he did not think much of the two newcomers. After giving this perfunctory instruction, he left with his hands behind his back.

Yang Yu calmly swept his gaze across the classroom, ignored the various looks, and headed straight for an empty seat by the window in the back row. Ning Rongrong hurried after him and sat beside him. Their seats were directly in front of Zhu Zhuqing.

The moment she sat down, Ning Rongrong felt a cold gaze land on her back. She turned around and met Zhu Zhuqing's deep, emotionless eyes. That gaze was so cold it made her shudder. She quickly turned back, not daring to look again.

Yang Yu seemed completely unaware. He took out the new textbooks issued by the academy and flipped through them casually. Such basic theory was child's play to him.

The morning consisted of dull theory lessons. A white-haired old scholar lectured passionately at the podium on the Basic Atlas of Spirit Beasts. Most of the students were drowsy with boredom. Ning Rongrong's little head bobbed repeatedly, and several times she nearly collapsed onto the desk asleep. Only Tang San sat upright, listening with exceptional focus and taking notes from time to time, as though he intended to carve every word into his mind.

Yang Yu's gaze occasionally swept over Tang San's focused side profile, which carried a trace of ruthlessness. Was this fellow desperately absorbing knowledge, hoping to find the capital to turn things around? Unfortunately, some gaps could not be overcome through hard work alone.

After the lunch break, the afternoon brought practical combat class. It was held at an open-air Training Ground behind the academy, built from bluestone.

The practical combat instructor was a burly middle-aged man with knotted muscles and a crew cut. His name was Rosen, a level thirty-seven Battle Soul Master whose martial soul was the Iron Armored Rhinoceros. He was well known at Nuoding Academy for his strictness and extensive combat experience.

"Stand properly! What kind of formation is this, all crooked and slouching?" Rosen's voice boomed as his stern gaze swept over the students lined up before him. "Today's practical combat class will be free sparring in pairs! Get your spirits up! If anyone dares slack off or play tricks, don't blame my fists for being merciless!"

His gaze swept through the crowd and quickly settled on Yang Yu, who stood calmly in the back row, and Ning Rongrong beside him, who looked somewhat nervous.

"You two newcomers! Yes, you two!" Rosen pointed at Yang Yu and Ning Rongrong. "What are your names? What are your martial souls? Show me! Stop hiding them!"

Everyone's attention once again focused on the pair. Many students wore expressions of eager anticipation. Teacher Rosen was famously strict. The newcomers were in for trouble.

Ning Rongrong looked flustered and turned to Yang Yu for help.

Yang Yu remained calm as he stepped forward. "Yang Yu. My martial soul is the Dragon of Eternity and Time, level thirty-three Attack Type Battle Soul Master."

Level thirty-three?! A Soul Elder?! How old was he?!

Boom! The entire Training Ground erupted in an uproar! Every student stared wide-eyed at Yang Yu in disbelief! Even Rosen froze for a moment! A six-year-old Soul Elder?! Was this some kind of joke?!

Tang San abruptly raised his head and stared fixedly at Yang Yu, the resentment in his eyes nearly bursting forth! That monster again!

Xiao Wu covered her little mouth, her expression complicated. Zhu Zhuqing's cold gaze also fell on Yang Yu for the first time, and an almost imperceptible ripple passed through her deep eyes.

"L-level thirty-three?" Rosen swallowed, his voice even changing pitch. "Y-you... are you sure?"

Yang Yu said nothing. He merely stirred his thoughts.

Buzz! A First Spirit Ring, deep purple like amethyst and flowing with silver Spatial Ripples across its surface, instantly lit up beneath his feet! An indescribably mysterious aura spread outward, accompanied by faint Dragon Might!

Deep purple! A thousand-year spirit ring?! As his first ring?!

This time, even Rosen sucked in a sharp breath! His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets! After teaching for so many years, he had never seen such an outrageous spirit ring configuration! This kid... was he a monster?!

"G-good!" Rosen suppressed the storm raging in his heart, though his voice carried a barely noticeable dryness. "Then... what about you?" He looked at Ning Rongrong.

With so many eyes on her, Ning Rongrong's little face flushed red. Nervously, she said in a quiet voice, "N-Ning Rongrong. My martial soul is the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, a level seventeen support-type Tool Soul Master."

The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda?! One of the Upper Three Sects?!

Another wave of low exclamations swept through the crowd! Just what backgrounds did these new students have?!

Rosen felt that his heart could barely take any more. He took a deep breath and forcibly calmed himself. "Since you are support-type, you need an Attack Type partner. How about this..." His eyes scanned the entire field before finally settling on the aloof black figure in the corner.

"Zhu Zhuqing! Step out!"

Zhu Zhuqing walked out of the line expressionlessly, like an elf of the night. Her cold aura seemed to lower the temperature around her by several degrees.

"You and Ning Rongrong will be a team!" Rosen ordered. "Yang Yu... you're too strong. Fighting them would be meaningless. So, Dai Mubai! Tang San! The two of you will face Yang Yu together!"

An uproar broke out across the field once more! Dai Mubai and Tang San were going to join forces against Yang Yu?! Dai Mubai was a level thirty-seven Attack Type Battle Soul Master! Tang San was also a level twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster! The two of them were joining forces against a six-year-old child?! What was Teacher Rosen trying to do?!

Intense hatred and a trace of excitement instantly erupted in Tang San's eyes! At last, he had an opportunity! A fair and open opportunity! He looked toward Dai Mubai.

Dai Mubai had also been called over from the resting area. His face was still somewhat pale, but his eyes blazed with violence and the fire of revenge! Upon hearing Rosen's arrangement, he licked his lips and revealed a vicious smile. "Good! Very good! Exactly what I wanted!"

The two walked out side by side and stopped opposite Yang Yu. Dai Mubai's pupils flickered with ferocity, while Tang San's eyes were cold as venomous snakes. Terrifying Soul Power pressure mixed with dense killing intent pressed toward Yang Yu as though tangible!

"Kid! Let's see how you die this time!" Dai Mubai snarled. Yellow, yellow, purple—three spirit rings flared to life! The Evil-Eyed White Tiger possessed him! His violent aura erupted once more!

Tang San said nothing. He merely activated his martial soul in silence. Blue Silver Grass swayed in his palm as he activated Mysterious Jade Hand, several Hidden Weapons glimmering with faint light slipping quietly between his fingers! His eyes brimmed with bone-deep hatred!

Faced with the terrifying pressure of the two joining forces, Yang Yu remained standing where he was, his expression calm and undisturbed. He did not even activate his martial soul. It was as though he could not see their predatory gazes. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, his gaze passing over the murderous Dai Mubai and Tang San and settling precisely on Zhu Zhuqing behind them, who stood like an iceberg with an expressionless face.

His lips moved. His voice was not loud, yet it clearly pierced through the killing intent and clamor of the Training Ground, reaching Zhu Zhuqing's ears.

"Watch carefully." "I'll only demonstrate this once."

Zhu Zhuqing's cold pupils suddenly contracted!